Children and teenagers navigate the world with the knowledge they acquire from parents, extended family, peers, teachers, and friends. However, as our brains are not fully developed until we reach our early twenties, growing up poses a new set of challenges. While kids and teenagers have the capacity to do well, their journey often includes some version of depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, variable social skills, perfectionism, and difficulty with emotional regulation. For some, additional issues may include drug use, behavioral problems, poor academic performance, self-harm behaviors, and coping with trauma. You as a parent may also recognize new challenges in communicating with your teen and he/she/they are trying to assert themselves and become autonomous.